16th of Gornow, 26E219

Inn, Fairbreeze Village, Eversong Woods

~1500

The Wolf quietly paid the Innkeeper for their food and drink, and stepped away to find a place to sit. Seeking somewhere with some privacy, they walk over to where a partition has been erected, with a curtain covering the entrance. They push the curtain aside and step through quietly. Their eyes immediately fall on a beautiful woman laying on her side on a chaise. The woman had oil as dark as the void. Her skin was pale, her sharp, noble face adorned with gold and black makeup. Gold jewelry hung from her neck and her pointed ears. Sitting on the floor before the woman, offering her food and wine was a blood elf woman, and standing behind the chaise was a blood elf man, ready to attend to her. The woman looks up at the new arrival, her eyes are piercing, her pupils black slits like a snake. Venomous green with shimmers of gold make her irises enrapturing, like gold lain in a trap to tempt wayward adventurers. Her eyes narrow and she grins, exposing the wicked, vampiric fangs in her mouth.

"Look who it is… The Wolf… in the flesh…" She speaks, her velvety yet cold voice tinged with aloof amusement. She gestures for the Wolf to seat herself. Adorning her pointer finger is a claw ring made of gold, and engraved with runes. The Wolf eyes the woman for a moment before sitting across from her.

"Why are you here, Serpent? I figured the affairs of today would be beneath the notice of yourself from you palace…" The Wolf speaks as they lift their mask slightly to expose their mouth. They take a bite of bread, chewing as they wait for the Serpent's response.

"Please… I'm not a shut-in like the old man. I have my reasons to get out." The Serpent responds, leaning down to kiss the blood elf woman and retrieve her glass of wine. She then returns her attention to the Wolf, sipping her wine and licking her lips in a manner reminiscent of how a snake flicks its tongue. She raises a hand to trace the chest of the blood elf man behind her.

"Such beautiful people… You can't blame me for wanting some for my palace." The Serpent answers the Wolf's question with an almost erotic smile, though her eyes remain as cold and lethal as ever. The Wolf snorts in shrewd amusement, taking a swig of ale.

"Figures you would be out collecting more concubines." The Wolf replies, a hint of distaste creeping into their voice. The take a bite out of the leg of the roast quail they had bought.

"So rude… Faolain ua Dirne really never taught you manners, did he?" The Serpent pouts. "We're representatives of the earth, natural guardians. Nothing in our raison d'être says we can't partake in the natural pleasures of life." She continues, taking a slice of cheese from the blood elf woman and popping it in her mouth. She smirks at the Wolf, who only scoffs.

"Excess is distasteful regardless. You horde like some fat dragon. Hardly the same as an occasional indulgence." The Wolf counters sternly. The Serpent's lip twitches and she scowls.

"Watch your tongue, brat. I was already a guardian before you were even conceived." She snaps back, sipping her wine and watching the Wolf. Her anger quickly fades and she smiles faintly again, a hint of smugness creeping in. "Besides, you can hardly lecture me. I'm not the one with a fetish for battle and duels. How much trouble has your blood-lust caused us?" She thrusts her point at the Wolf, pointing her clawed finger at her.

"Nature is cruel and harsh, the weak fall to the strong. Such is the law of the jungle." The Wolf counters calmly, tearing more bites out of the quail, even breaking bones to get to the marrow.

"And do not many species of animals see the dominant take a harem? Don't act like my indulgence in such things is over-fraternization with the affairs of mortals. Such affairs are beneath me." The Serpent responds derisively. She sips her wine and takes a cracker and scoops some beef tartare on it, eating it and eyeing the Wolf closely as they drink from their ale.

"Natural isn't the problem. It's crude and irresponsible." The Wolf speaks up after swallowing a mouthful of their drink. "You're taking people from their natural habitat."

"And giving them a life far more luxurious, easy, and enjoyable than they could ever have had naturally!" The Serpent snaps. She snaps her fingers. "Dalethas, buy me another bottle of wine." She orders, handing the blood elf man a gold coin. He bows.
"Of course, Lady Sinella." He says, leaving quickly to do as he is told.

"A life as little more than your toys." The Wolf replies, watching Dalethas leave. They return their attention to the Serpent, Sinella.

"I treat my 'toys' as you call them, quite well." Sinella retorts.

"At the cost of their growth as people."

"Again with you and individual growth. That's all you care about, getting stronger, and others getting stronger. How many people have you led to their death by setting disproportionate expectations on them? My concubines and attendants don't need to grow because they have fulfilled lives at my side." Sinella says, finishing her wine and handing the glass to the blood elf woman. The Wolf finishes their quail and takes a bite of bread, chewing, and swallowing.

"Those who failed the tests I set them were weak. They knew the risks. They simply overestimated themselves. Their deaths are their own faults." The Wolf counters, finishing their bread and drinking from their ale. Sinella laughs cynically and looks at the Wolf with a face as if to say 'are you kidding me?'

"And you call me cold. At least my hobbies don't get aspiring teens, adolescents and young adults killed." Sinella jabs. Dalethas returns, opening the bottle of wine and refilling the wine glass the blood elf woman is holding. The blood elf woman then hands the glass back to Sinella, who promptly takes a deep drink from it as Dalethas resumes his position behind her.

"Again, those who bite off more than they can chew take their fate into their own hands. Doesn't matter the age." The Wolf deflects the jab dismissively. They finish their ale and push their mask back down. They stand up. "Goodbye, Serpent. Don't work to hard."

"Oh? Leaving so soon? Shame…" Sinella mockingly pouts. "Give anymore thought to introducing that handsome son of yours to me?" Sinella smiles playfully, watching the Wolf as they step towards the curtain. The Wolf pauses, not turning around.

"What Curnan chooses to do is his prerogative. If he elects to join your little… harem… that is his decision…" The Wolf responds. "However, if you do anything to him… force him to join you… I'll rip your throat out and feast on your corpse." The Wolf's voice turns far colder and crueler. Without another word, the Wolf leaves.

"Your threat would actually be intimidating if you had ever beaten me in combat…" Sinella mutters, watching them go, amused.